


Vessel for the Sea

by BWolf_20



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Breeding, Forced Pregnancy, Human/Merman Sex, Hurt Tony Stark, M/M, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Merpeople, Oviposition, Partial Mind Control, Rape Aftermath, Weird Pregnancy Symptoms
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-06
Updated: 2017-12-22
Packaged: 2018-12-12 02:37:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 9
Words: 8,670
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11727750
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BWolf_20/pseuds/BWolf_20
Summary: Tony and the gang are taking a nice relaxing vacation on a private beach.  Little do they know, a merman desperate to breed has been watching them. When Tony decides to do a little solo swimming elsewhere, the merman strikes, pining him down and officially making him his mate. Once he's done he flees, leaving Tony shaken, but he keeps silent. He goes homes and continues as normal, doing his best to pretend he was never violated by a merman, but he can't when he starts getting weird symptoms which makes him fear the idea that he might be impregnated with merbabies.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Based off a prompt. 
> 
> I did once work on a fic similar to this, but with an alien instead of a merman. I didn't get far with it, but hopefully this will be different since lately I've been in the mood for mermaid stuff with Tony.

Tony sighed at the sight of that sparkling blue water. He breathed in the fresh air and let it out feeling totally hyped for a well-deserved break. And one of the best things about it was the privacy. No noisy kids or tourists running around shattering the peace. They were along in a private beach spot which was just the thing he and his team needed.

He looked around and grinned at the others who were setting up their beach chairs. 

“Was I right or was I right about coming to the Oasis.”

“Don’t pat yourself too hard on the back,” Natasha warned, though she was smirking.

“Oh come on, if Tony wants to treat us, then who are we to criticize,” Clint said as he settled down in a chair.

“I couldn’t have said it better,” said Sam who stretched back against his chair and pulled down the shades over his eyes.

“Yeah well, don’t get used to it. Can’t have you expecting me to treat you guys every time you beg for it. I’m sure you or the cap can make something happen.”

At that, Steve looked up from where he was spreading down a beach blanket. 

“I think my pockets say otherwise,” Steve announced. “But really, we do appreciate this Tony.”

Tony raised his hands and gave a light applause.

“Well well, someone knows how to thank me for my awesomeness.”

Natasha just rolled her eyes while Clint snickered. 

“Remind me to thank you later, much later,” said Sam.

“Nice,” Tony said sounding annoyed. “Now, what do you guys say to a swim? Come on, I didn’t bring you guys out here just to lay around. You can do that at home.”

“I’m up for it,” Steve said eagerly. “How bout it Sam?”

Sam raised his shades and shot him a look of irritation.

“Well I can’t let you show me up can I?”

 

A couple of miles away from the private spot, a creature, a stunning humanoid being with a tinge of blue to his flesh was swimming frantically through the water. His ears were open as were all other senses as it scouted the area, searching desperately. It happened to be that time of the year which meant he had a certain need to fulfill. Slight whimpers issued from his lips as he feared it was hopeless. He gave a sorrowful wail that was meant to be more of a call than a cry.

But no one answered.

He had hoped he’d be lucky enough to meet his need away from his home since all the females had been taken. Still, there hadn’t been nearly enough females back home anyways which made it all the more vital that he succeed. Already he’d passed a year without claiming a mate and he could not, or rather would not, suffer that trauma a second time. 

Again he echoed out the call, inviting any young thing to his side, assuring any they’d make a good match. They’d spawn lovely tykes and he’d be a good father to them.

Still no female came to him.

He stopped swimming then and just tread water. A tremor shot up his spine, and a fathom pain gripped him below the waist causing him to give a pained moan. He needed to mate and fast before he became lost in the pain of the building pressure of his life giving load. 

Suddenly he became distracted by voices echoing above. The voices were then followed by splashing which had him diving further under the water for safety.

Turning his sharp eyes upward, he could see three bodies swimming forward fairly quickly, though they were nowhere near as fast as himself. He narrowed his eyes at them upon recognizing their shapes. 

Humans.

He’d seen humans before and had always made sure to stay out of their sight. It had been drilled well into his head about how dangerous they were. And of course there had been stories of merfolk getting caught up in their nets and chopped up for fish food, yet most knew the stories to be myths to frighten little ones, ensuring that they would stay away.

It was understandable why some would risk venturing near them. They were a curious kind who were known to create strange things. 

As he watched the beings swim past above him, he thought of another tale about humans; a tale that wasn’t exactly a myth.

In the past his kind had lured the land folk from their floating vessels, causing them to crash. But it hadn’t so much been for the sake of killing off potential predators. His ancestors had done it in order to capture the humans, because they needed mates.

With that bit of history in mind, the merman gave a hopeful chime.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The merman considers which avenger will make the best mate.

The theory had been tested at a time when the merfolk population was rapidly decreasing due to other predators of the sea as well as sickness. It hadn’t been thought of as crazy. The land folk did appear similar to their kind, at least their top half did, and there just hadn’t been enough females to go around. Fortunately, they discovered it was possible.

The male slowly swam upward as the possibility rang in his mind. Then he heard and saw the beings swimming back so he quickly dived back down again. 

He watched the humans pass above, wondering what his chances were of snagging one of the humans for a mate. 

 

“Hey no fair man, you got your super body working for you,” Sam complained as Steve made it ashore before the others.

“You guys wouldn’t want me to cheat would you?”

“I wouldn’t complain,” said Tony as he came up behind Sam, last out of the water. “Do you have to be the best at everything?”

Steve held up his hands in mock surrender.

“Alright alright. How about a do over? And I promise to hold back.”

“Nah I’m good,” Sam said as he settled back in his chair. “Just wanna sit back and do nothing.”

“Like you normally do,” Clint teased. Sam gave him a punch in the shoulder.

“Tony?” Steve asked.

“I get a head start,” he said while heading back into the water.

 

The merman kept his distance as he watched the humans swimming another round above. This time he noticed only two had taken to the water, but it still was much too risky to attempt to take one knowing the other human would stop him. 

He gritted his sharp teeth, annoyed that he’d have to wait for the right moment. The pressure below his waist was building and his mind was screaming at him. He did a few frantic circles before speeding off to follow the humans.

_‘Calm…calm….calm’_

It was important he stayed calm. He balled his hands into fists and grit his teeth. He wouldn’t focus on what he needed. Instead he would focus on the potential mates.

The merman flicked his tail to rise closer to the surface, but not close enough to be spotted. He cleared his mind as best he could in order to let his senses inform him about these two. 

Right away he got that they were males, one was somewhat small and the other a bit larger. The arousal that was brimming decreased just slightly. A female, whether mermaid or human, always ensured easier impregnation and the pregnancy was quicker too, but he could work with this. They were enriched well enough to make impregnating a human male possible, though the mating would be a little different there. Where it was impossible oddly enough, was with another merman. 

His senses picked up an odd kind of power coming from one of the humans. Upon following them he realized it was stemming from the human with a larger body build. The humans came to a stop and just tread water in one spot. The merman stayed alert, ready to dive out of sight should they try something different. For the moment, he studied the form of the larger male. He couldn’t understand what it was about this human, but his senses told him it was something unnatural; something that expressed it might be difficult and perhaps dangerous to try and capture him. Besides, not knowing what made him so unnatural brought up the question of whether or not a pregnancy would take. He also didn’t particularly like that the human was larger than himself which only proved that his chances of succeeding were slim with that one. 

He turned his attention to the smaller human. His size was easier to handle than the other one, and he sensed that he was normal in the way a human was meant to be. Right away his arousal started to build. His mind was screaming. He stopped thinking rationally as he made a beeline for the human, flapping his silvery blue tail behind him.

 

Tony leaned back against the water and did a few lazy kicks as he drifted about. 

“I tell you Steve, we should’ve done this a while ago.”

“Sounds like you needed this more than anyone.” Steve too leaned back and just floated taking in the soothing coolness.

“We all needed this. When do we ever get a chance to really kick back?”

“Well, you got a point there.”

“No shit.”

“Language.”

Tony just laughed and rose up to do a couple laps around him.

 

The merman immediately came to a stop upon seeing the smaller human kick up and start swimming again. He turned and dove downward, hissing at himself for being so impatient and nearly ruining his chances. The rumbling below his waist was enough to make him turn back, but he did his best to ignore it. Biological needs were always so persistent, especially when one missed a whole yet of mating. It did make him pause and wonder if he was better off continuing his search for a female, but he didn’t feel motivated enough to try it when he’d already set eyes on the smaller human male. He’d gotten a good look at the human’s rear end which seemed quite fitting and, dare he think attractive.

He gave an exasperated sigh. He would just have to wait for the right time. Until then, he kept out of sight while keeping his eyes on his prospective mate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The merman's got his eyes on Tony. But how will he get him?  
> Tune in for more.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Does the merman finally have his chance?

Tony and Steve extended their swim for another hour before heading to shore for a lunch break. The merman risked a quick break in the surface to sneak a peek before ducking down again. He felt anger at the brief sight of his potential mate eating when here he was practically dying from his need. He was also irritated upon seeing that it wasn’t just two other humans with his potential mate, but four in total. One of the four, he sensed was female. This intrigued him and he risked breaking the surface again, dangerously close to the group, to get a good whiff from her. He sensed there was possibly something off about her biology but he wasn’t close enough to be certain. Whether she was right or not, it wouldn’t matter unless she ventured into the water.

He sunk further below the water, circling like a shark as his impatience grew. He tried not to think about the possibility that the human wouldn’t return to the water again.

Sometime after they ate, Clint and Tony took to the water. The merman swam closer deciding he should at least check out this new human, but by this point his interest was already set on the smaller male. He knew it didn’t do to be picky at such a vital time, but he saw little harm in being choosy. This smaller male already had an inviting scent and from what he could see of his body, he was already a perfect match. The problem was getting that perfect match alone.

 

It wasn’t long before Clint started swimming inland with a frowning Tony following behind.

“Done already Clint?”

“Try not to pout,” Clint joked as he grabbed a towel.

Tony turned to the others who seemed quite pleased to just lay around. Sam and Natasha appeared to be sleeping on the beach chairs while Steve was stretched out on the beach blanket looking through some cards.

“Guys, tell me this isn’t what this whole vacation is gonna be.”

“Tony chill,” Sam started. “This is day one. We gotta a whole week out here don’t we? Some of us just want to take it slow the first day.”

“Really. You wanna take it slow?” Tony said disbelievingly. 

Sam lowered the shades and sat up. 

“Well no. Normally I wouldn’t, but after that last mission, I’m still feeling it man.”

He rubbed his side and Tony buttoned his lip. Their latest mission before the trip had been rough on them, especially on Sam who’d gotten knocked sideways into a building during an explosion. He could still see some bruising on the man’s skin. He was lucky to be well enough for the trip in the first place.

“Alright, but I can’t be the only one having all the fun.”

“This is fun, Stark, to us,” Natasha added without opening an eye. “You should try it for once.”

Tony waved his hands in surrender.

“Fine, fine, I guess it won’t kill me to be as boring as you guys for a minute.”

He settled down, stretching back in one of the chairs with a sigh. 

When the merman snuck a peek at the humans, he too sighed. The frustration just kept building. He dove down again hissing and groaning, not knowing what to do with himself. 

 

About twenty minutes passed before Tony jumped up, clapping his hands together. 

“Screw it, this is too boring for me.”

“Then go swim,” Clint said lazily.

Tony looked around at his team. Sam and Natasha were definitely out, snoozing away. He couldn’t tell if Steve had fallen asleep but it looked like he had. 

“Maybe I will.”

He marched toward the edge and looked out at the water. He figured he’d spent enough time in this area and he wanted to see what else the Oasis had to offer. They had traveled down a nice trail to get to this spot, and he did recall seeing a lovely looking lagoon along the way. The idea was so appealing he decided to head that way without bothering to tip Clint off.

Watching from afar, the merman decided to follow as best he could, hoping this was finally his chance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uh-oh. seems the merman might have his chance if Tony's going off alone. I appreciate the reviews. Keep them coming and stay tuned for more :)


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Upon settling in a new area, Tony quickly discovers he's not alone

The lagoon was indeed lovely with beautiful flowers blooming here and there, bright green foliage, and a soothing waterfall in the background to express a nice little slice of paradise. Tony had expressed interest in stopping there for a bit, but the others had voted for seeing more of the Oasis before deciding. Much to his annoyance, his teammates had become too lazy to journey back to the lagoon once they stretched out on the beach. 

Now that he thought about it, he was rather glad because it was like he had this spot all to himself. For a moment he simply admired the sight and took in the sweet air.

“Hell yeah,” he muttered as he hurried up the trail to climb up the side of the waterfall. From there he stood, looking down into the water. Then with a great cry he cannonballed into the refreshing pool.  
He surfaced with a laugh and started backstroking. Any concerns and stress evaporated even more. After a while he gave a sigh and just floated along with his eyes shut. It felt good to let go once in a while.  
For the most part it was nicely calm with nothing but the rushing falls reaching his ears. Then suddenly it was broken with the sound of an enormous splash.

Startled, he opened his eyes and quickly looked around. There was the sign of the still disturbed water, clearly showing that someone had dived into the water several feet away from him. At first he wondered if it was Steve, but it didn’t make sense because he wouldn’t have dived from the direction near the sea. Still he waited for the person to surface, but it was taking so long the water had become practically still again.

“Steve, if that’s you, you’d better say so dammit!”

Steve didn’t pop up.

“Clint you son of a bitch! Don’t think you can scare me!”

But Clint didn’t pop up either. 

He didn’t want to admit it, but it was starting to become unnerving. He moved away slowly while keeping his eyes on the spot. It had to have been a person, but said person would’ve surfaced by now. He rose his sight upwards and decided it might have been a couple of coconuts falling from the trees. He smiled, convinced that was the explanation.

He leaned back for a bit, then turned ready to do some freestyling when he noticed something near the waterfall quickly sinking below the surface. He gasped, certain he’d just seen a giant silvery blue fish tail in that brief moment. He rubbed his eyes, blinking away what he imagined might have been fantasy, but due to his time as an Avenger, he knew there was always room for more crazy shit. 

The feeling that he was not alone sent the hairs on the back of his neck rising. He waited, because he was sure everything was still alright. It was unreasonable to get spooked for nothing. 

Then a sudden splash went off not too far behind him. He turned immediately, but saw no one.

“Shit.”

He didn’t know what it was, but something told him it was time to leave. 

He made for land, swimming as quickly as he could. Then in an instant, something reached around his waist. Hands with webbed fingers and a bluish tinge stood out against his pale skin. 

“What the hell!”

Upon turning around, he saw a dark haired man with sharp blue eyes and smooth bluish skin that seemed to shine like a diamond which only served to enhance just how beautiful he appeared. It caught Tony off guard, but he was alerted to just how inhuman he was when he noticed the gills behind his pointed ears.

He grabbed the arms that held him, which was like a vice around his waist, and kicked desperately. His feet ended up striking against something scaly that should’ve been a leg. The silvery blue fish tail came to mind and he gasped, his mind barely able to put two and two together.

_‘This can’t be a…a…merman!’_

He quickly realized it didn’t matter what the man was, he was being attacked. He made to call for the others but the creature’s hand quickly covered his mouth. The merman gently leaned Tony’s head backwards against his shoulder. 

Panicked and imagining the creature may be preparing to slit his throat, Tony fought harder than ever, kicking fiercely and throwing his fists back in an attempt to knock him away. He would not die to some…mermaid. There was too much to be done. He had the Industry, he had the team, he had hope of another chance with Pepper.

And then in the chaos, something began wafting into his ear; something he had never heard. Something that was beautiful and intriguing. Something that made him shiver as it coursed through his very being.  
Tony wasn’t aware that he had stopped kicking and swinging his fists. But the terror hadn’t dissipated.

_‘What the hell is happening?’_


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The merman finds success at last

Tony felt his body start to go lax as his mind was enraptured with that odd beautiful melody that echoed in his ears. It was strangely calm, but unnerving. He couldn’t think properly and he couldn’t get his legs to kick.

The merman loosened his hold, and Tony knew it was his chance to escape, but the thing was draping over him. Besides that, he felt no energy to do so. The merman gently pulled him away from his shoulder and rested him against the sand. Then the webbed hand that had covered his mouth, slid down his hips and into the band of his swim trunks. Tony couldn’t muster a scream. All he could do was give a sad little choke.

He had an intake of breath as the creature just ripped his trunks from his body. His eyes widened as he could feel the creature even better now against his bare rear. He didn’t even want to think about why the merman had done this.

The merman leaned close to his ear and inhaled. Thinking was almost impossible for Tony now. He could feel a panic attack coming on, but it was as if he couldn’t physically manage it so he was caught between the need to lose it and the need to stay calm. 

The damn melody was so trance like he could hear nothing else other than the gentle sounds of the waterfall.

The merman clicked in satisfaction as the scales below his waist parted. 

At long last he was able to free his member which was already dripping from the long wait. 

He was barely aware of the desperate gasps coming from the human underneath him. It made weak attempts to claw its way ashore. It didn’t register to the merman that this human did not want to mate. Just as Tony’s mind was enraptured with his charming melody, the merman’s mind was enraptured with desperate need.

As if acting on its own accord he surged his hips forward and immediately found the entrance.

Tony’s body jerked. He managed to give a cry of surprise that was nowhere near loud enough to alert his team mates. And before it fully registered what was happening, the merman began fiercely thrusting into him with a member that felt much too large to fit. 

He was a limp doll as the merman flapped his tail wildly, giving himself the momentum needed to mate with the human lying against the sand. Unusual gurgles mixed with a moan almost reminiscent of a whale’s song issued from the merman’s lips.

Every push he gave, the deeper Tony felt him penetrate, and he couldn’t feel more disgusted. Never had he experienced sex with a man, but he was sure their dicks weren’t slimy and cold. If there was anything he could be grateful for, it was that it wasn’t rough due to lack of lube, but it was still a shock to the ring of muscles that had never been opened in such a way before. He had opened up almost too easily for the creature.  
There was pain with the forceful thrusting, at the same time it was gentle. His ass was already starting to scream and the rapid pounding of his heart was tearing at his chest. Tony tried to work his mind to do something. He told himself to scream, but the foreign melody continued to block his brain’s function in those areas. All he could really do was gasp when the merman hit particularly hard against his prostate. For the rest of it, he whimpered and choked.

The webbed hands held him firmly as the merman leaned his head back without losing any rhythm. The fear he’d had of not finding a mate was replaced with pure relief and contentment. 

Tony gave a muffled groan as he sped up. He laid there, feeling ashamed and horribly helpless. Such a feeling only increased as he was made aware of a new feeling; one where he felt his body was betraying him by getting off on this.

 _‘Sick bastard!’_ He scolded himself. 

He shut his eyes, choking back sobs. The merman seemed to go on and on. And then out of the blue, he started to slow down, moving more gently. It came as a relief to Tony, and in some twisted way his movements now felt soothing. Each thrust was like a gentle massage. The merman’s now gentle embrace was calming.

Tony hated that he felt even calmer in his limp state while his brain still screamed in panic. The merman rested his forehead against the back of his neck and delivered short, soft, bursts of thrusts. Tony was almost numb to it now. His thoughts momentarily focused on the fact that he could feel the merman’s tail with his feet.

Then the merman gave a low wail which mixed with the needy moan Tony gave as the merman poured into him, filling his insides with a warm sensation that felt too hot yet just right. Tony babbled nonsense as his skin prickled. He threw his head back and sang with the merman as he continued to deposit his load. 

He couldn’t help it. That, combined with the melody, had his body singing with unimaginable pleasure.

When it was over, Tony’s head fell against the sand as he became limp yet again. His mind was on a new high as the melody began to die down. Still he had no energy to flee. It was too late anyways. All he could do was concentrate on breathing which seemed increasingly difficult now.

The merman pulled away slightly, but hid dick remained buried in Tony. He then moved forward and laid against his back to rest as his dick enlarged just enough to keep his mate plugged for a moment. It was vital to ensure that his seed took and remained deep within his mate, particularly since he was human. And while he waited, the merman sought Tony’s neck and bit down.

Tony hissed but didn’t move. 

When the merman felt his member shrink enough, he quickly pulled out and dove back into the water. 

With a powerful splash, the merman leapt the coral leaving the lagoon behind. He then began his journey back home, now that his need was happily fulfilled.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony is naturally haunted after surviving his encounter

Tony didn’t move at first. It hadn’t really registered that the creature was gone so he was afraid to make a move. The strange melody had vanished from his ears, but it wasn’t enough to tell him it was safe. He could still feel its dick buried inside and such a feeling had him trembling and sobbing. He told himself it was gone. He heard the thing leave. 

He chanced a cautious glance over his shoulder and saw no one. Naturally it meant he was alone. Then again, the creature could still be in the area lurking under the water just waiting to strike again. With that in mind, he forced his legs to move. 

There was pain, but he pushed past it. He felt bloated, but he did his best to ignore it.

It was several minutes before he could achieve a standing position, yet he felt he could drop quickly considering how shaky his legs were. He took a few cautious steps forward before coming to a stop. A slight breeze blew over him and it was only then did he realize he was naked below the waist. He looked back at the water already deciding he wasn’t ever going back in, not even to retrieve his swimming trunks. But being naked kept in mind the horrible experience. He stumbled and dropped back to the ground. 

It was a merman.

The brain had issues trying to process that. A freaking merman had…

He wouldn’t finish the thought. He rubbed his eye and stood again, taking a moment just to manage his breathing. He knew he should be grateful that at least the thing hadn’t drowned him, but part of him wondered if that would’ve been better. 

The bloated feeling didn’t go away. He was sickeningly aware that he was quite full of the merman’s seed, yet none of it was leaking down his leg as he expected it would. Disturbed, he rushed over to a bush in an attempt to expel it from his body. For all he knew about mermen, keeping it in could kill him.

 

After thirty minutes of trying, he gave up and instead made his way back to the beach. The effort of keeping a calm expression on his face was taxing.

Much of the team was awake by now. Natasha and Clint were chatting with Steve on the chairs, but Sam was still sleeping.

Tony stayed in the shadows of the trees watching. His cheeks flushed with humiliation. How he wished he could just crawl under a rock somewhere, or better yet turn back time. 

“Don’t think about it,” he muttered to himself. 

Then Steve stood and walked to the edge, clearly preparing to swim. The sight had Tony’s heart racing. 

“Steve wait!” he cried as he stumbled out of hiding. “Don’t go in the water!”

“Ah Stark what the hell!” Natasha cried. “You might be proud the show it off, but that doesn’t mean we wanna see it.”

“Tony? Why are you naked?” Steve asked.

“You know Tony,” Clint joked. “Probably wanted to-”

“Don’t go in the water,” Tony gasped. He hoped his voice wasn’t shaking. 

“What are you talking about man?” Sam asked after waking to the commotion.

Tony wasn’t sure what to say. There was no way in hell he was going to tell them the reason why they shouldn’t go in the water. Regardless of the strange things they faced, he doubted they’d believe in mermaids, especially mermaids that raped people.

“I was...I got a text about the waters here having a lot of issues. If we wanna keep our health…”

He drifted off as Steve walked up to him holding a beach towel wide open.

“Do you mind,” he said, annoyed. “Nat’s right here.”

“I don’t mind,” she said while smirking. 

Tony took it gratefully and wrapped it around his waist.

“Why are you naked anyways man?” Sam asked.

“Went swimming in the lagoon, lost my trunks.”

Clint laughed and Tony just felt queasy.

“Like I was saying, there’s problems with the waters around here which is why we need to stay out of it.”

“What? I don’t feel anything,” Clint started. 

“You don’t want to take a chance just cause you don’t feel something now do you?”

A brief argument began with Clint, Sam, and soon Natasha defending the need to stay, but Tony was just as adamant about the need to leave. 

“Maybe Tony’s right,” said Steve who was observing him carefully. “If something’s wrong-”

“Good, glad that’s settled. Now, pack up, we’re getting out of here.”

Tony immediately moved past them and made for his things.

“What?” Clint cried. “Why do we have to leave? We’ll stay out of the water if it makes you happy, but I don’t see why-”

“We need to leave! We need to get checked out immediately! I’ll have Jarvis do it, but we’re not hanging around here any longer so let’s go!”

He figured he must look pretty frantic considering the concerned and surprised looks they were throwing him and it was all he could do to keep from breaking down. 

_‘Don’t think about it…don’t think about it!’_

“Tony…are you alright?” Natasha asked. 

“I’m fine Nat.” It came out a little more forceful than he intended. “Just, tired. Please. Get your stuff so we can go.”

For the moment she just stared, giving Tony the sinking feeling that she could see right through the lie. Whether she could or not he would not unveil the sick truth.

At last she gave a nod and joined the others in packing. Tony turned away from them as he stuffed his things in a bag and pulled out a spare shirt to throw on. His hands shook as he did so and he hated it. Every now and then he glanced over at the sea fearfully. Every splash of a wave sent an uncomfortable tingle down his spine. He could almost feel the creature in him again, and in a strange way, he could hear the pleasurable moans it had made.

A slight throb alerted him to the bite on the back of his neck and he ran a hand over it.

“No,” he muttered. He wouldn’t acknowledge that. He would think about home and his bots and how good it would feel when he got as far away from the beach as possible.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony returns home, still shaken

Tony was quiet the entire trip back. Every now and then someone would ask him if he was alright, to which he muttered that he was fine and just thinking.

“Look, I think we’ll be okay after the swimming. But if we grow another head I guess that’s when we should start worrying,” Clint had said with a laugh.

But the attempt at humor had failed to put a smirk on Tony’s face. It worried them, but seeing there wasn’t anything else they could do, they left him alone.

Tony stared out the window of his jet doing his best not to think of the horrible experience as well as doing his best not to let it show on his face. He twitched in his seat uncomfortably, still feeling nastily bloated and the idea only fueled his rising anxiety. He hadn’t even begun to worry about what the creature’s semen would do to him. He was certain nothing of interest being they were both male, but considering it was half fish there was the chance it could do some bodily harm. The problem was he had little idea of how to go about checking without the info getting out. Of course Jarvis was trustworthy, but at the moment Tony didn’t have the courage to confess such a thing with the A.I. It was ridiculous, yet he couldn’t help imagining his creation viewing him with pity and perhaps disgust. He was already starting to feel it for himself.

Once they reached home, Tony was the first off, immediately heading for his room.

“Tony, where are you going?” Steve asked. 

He didn’t bother stopping as he answered.

“To my room. Dead tired, but I’m…okay.”

“What about the tests?” Sam asked.

Tony stopped and turned.

“Tests? What tests?”

“Don’t you remember? You said you would have Jarvis check us out,” Natasha answered. “To make sure we aren’t contaminated from swimming in that water.”

Her arms were crossed and she was giving him quite the observant stare. It made Tony’s heart clinch, thinking she might be able to discover the truth sooner than never. Nonetheless he forced himself to remain calm. 

“Right, right, what was I thinking. Just, gimme a minute to set Jarvis up.”

He did his best not to hurry as he headed for the lab.

“Jarvis,” he muttered, feeling his cheeks flush.

“Sir. I am pleased to welcome you home. I take it you are ready to upgrade the Iron man suits again.”

“No, I need.” He paused, not sure how to state it without sounding foolish. “I need you to do a physical scan on the team.”

The A.I was silent for a moment.

“A physical scan sir?”

“Yes. Me as well. We encountered, unusual waters and we need to make sure we’re okay.”

Tony could sense that the A.I knew something was off with the request.

“As you wish sir. I shall prepare the scan at once.”

Tony exhaled a sigh of relief as he turned and headed back to the others.

 

As promised Jarvis performed the physical on each member, one at a time, in the lab. After each was scanned he declared them fine and healthy. Tony watched the proceedings without really watching it. His throat had suddenly become tight and clogged with, water if he wasn’t mistaken. Then he was back there, in the water, with the merman’s body on him. He could feel the scales and his hand, reaching...

“Tony? Tony?”

He shook his head and jumped away at seeing Steve invading his personal space.

“What the hell Steve. Back up.”

“Sorry but, Jarvis has been trying to get your attention for a full minute.”

“Oh, right. J?”

“It is your turn sir.”

Tony crossed to the center of the floor and waited patiently as the A.I scanned him. Like the others he was declared fine. 

“Guess I worried about that for nothing,” Tony said jokingly.

“Yeah,” Clint agreed. “I told you we were fine. Now, who’s up for getting some thick juicy steaks to celebrate our health?” 

“Not me guys,” Tony informed them. “I’m still tired, so I’m hitting the sack early.”

“You serious?” Sam asked.

“Yeah. I am. So clear out so I can hit the sack early.”

They traded curious looks with one another before making their way toward the exit. Both Natasha and Steve gave him concerned looks that almost made him cringe. 

“If you need us, for anything, don’t hesitate,” Steve told him.

Tony just gave a nod and put on a false smile for gratitude. Once they were gone, his lower lip began to tremble, and his eyes were quickly becoming wet. 

“Sir, are you alright?”

He mentally scolded himself for getting Jarvis’s attention. He blinked back the wetness and forced his lips into a smile.

“It’s like I said J, I’m fine.”


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony really wants to believe he's fine, but stomach pains suggests otherwise

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Back to work on chapters for this. The upcoming holidays as well as other fics may keep me occupied at times, but I haven't forgotten this fic :)

Tony hoped he would be able to hold onto the idea that he was fine. If he could do that much he could just forget about what happened. But during the night, the nightmare made itself known in frightening dreams where the merman was chasing him through the sea. To make matters worse, cramps started in his stomach. 

He curled in on himself with his arms wrapped around his midsection as the pains increased. 

“No, no,” he moaned as he saw the merman coming for him. He twisted and turned as his stomach seemed to twist into knots creating a horrible burning sensation. He kicked away the covers, tossing and turning. Sweat was starting to pour down his face. The merman was on him, touching him…slipping inside.

“Sir?” Jarvis questioned. He’d witnessed him having nightmares before, but considering the pain he was in he felt it best to wake him. “Sir.”

Tony just kept tossing and moaning, clutching his stomach desperately. And just when Jarvis was considering sending a suit to rouse him, Tony woke with a startled yelp, eyes wide with panic and breathing heavily.

“Sir, are you all right?”

Tony groaned loudly in response and tossed his head back as the pain rose sharply.

“Oh god, what’s, what’s wrong with me?”

Wordlessly Jarvis did a scan as Tony struggled to a sitting position on the side of the bed.

“My scan shows nothing out of the ordinary, other than a slight stomach ache.”

“This is…worse than a stomach ache,” Tony hissed. He didn’t want to admit that he was scared. He didn’t want to have to accept the fact that his stomach was hurting because he was raped by a merman. “Fine. I’ll just…take something and hope it helps.”

He couldn’t announce the nightmare to Jarvis. It had to have just been a terrible nightmare or illusion. 

Shakily he got to his feet and went to his medicine cabinet. After downing the strongest pills for a belly ache, he proceeded back to the bed for what he hoped was a better night’s sleep.

Thankfully there were no more nightmares of predatory mermen. The cramps unfortunately did continue, but they weren’t as strong as they were before which gave him some hope that Jarvis was right.

 

The next morning, Tony woke tiredly, but at least his stomach was no longer cramping. In fact he felt as if it hadn’t been hurting at all. With a satisfied smile he praised the pills and got out of bed.

“Feeling better sir?”

“Much,” Tony admitted, yet he couldn’t help hovering his hand over his stomach. His thoughts momentarily went to the nightmares, but he dismissed them quickly enough. The vacation was over and it was time to get back to work.

 

After getting dressed he headed into the front room and saw that the team was finishing up their breakfast.

“Rise and shine honey,” Clint teased. Tony rolled his eyes but gave a smirk nonetheless.

“Tell me you guys didn’t drink up all the coffee.”

“Don’t you know us?” Sam questioned acting hurt.

Tony just shook his head as he made it to the coffee maker and poured himself a cup. It felt good to get back to normal.

“Apparently not.”

“Tony, are you okay?”

He turned to see the cap giving him a concerned look which did piss him off a little. The last thing he wanted was a reminder that he hadn’t been okay. Everything was fine. He’d had a little stomach pain and had weird dreams, yet Steve was acting as though that wasn't normal.

“Jesus cap, when did you become the mother hen?”

“I’m not, I just, you were pretty anxious yesterday.”

“I was worried about our health and I was tired nothing else, but I’m fine, we're fine, so stop worrying. We got a big day today right? Gotta get back in the swing of saving people and all that good stuff.”

Steve gave a nod, satisfied, and Tony was able to drink his coffee in peace without concerned looks shot his way. 

When they finished much of the team went down to the gym to train. Sam felt he had little need to do any training at the moment so he settled down to watch tv for a while. Tony naturally went to the lab to fine tune the suits. It wasn’t quite necessary, but the work helped him put his mind at ease. 

He was able to pass the time absorbed in his work until he felt an odd twist in his gut. He momentarily panicked until the twist turned into a growl letting him know he was hungry. Well he had skipped breakfast.

“Guess I’d better see about lunch,” he muttered.

“Shall I make an order sir?” asked Jarvis.

Tony was quiet as he rubbed his hand across his belly in thought. He smacked his lips a few times as he considered what might be good.

“Yeah. I think I could go for a nice fish sandwich right now.”

“I shall contact Ronald McDonald.”

“No, are you kidding me? I want a real fish sandwich with real fish. Nothing frozen.”

“I’ll check the database sir.”

Tony smiled as he made his way out of the lab.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so it begins, although wanting a fish sandwich is normal


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony experiences more oddness happening with himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's been a while since I updated. I've been concentrating on a new story while I was in the mood to write it.

Tony was certain he’d never tasted anything more delicious at that moment as he bit into the sandwich. A part of him thought it was strange as he’d had a fish sandwich or two before and had never found anything great about them. He shrugged it off and just continued to enjoy.

Clint and Steve came up from the gym looking pleasantly worn from training.

“Man I am hungry,” Steve announced

“Me too,” Clint agreed. “Wonder what sounds good.”

“How about a fish sandwich,” Tony suggested after swallowing.

“No, I think I could go for a burger right now,” Clint decided as he walked to the fridge to pour himself some water.

At the idea of beef Tony frowned as though the idea was a little tasteless.

“Suit yourself.”

 

When Tony finished he decided to call up Rhodes. 

“Hey Tony, I’ve been wondering when you’d call me up.”

“Yeah, well we haven’t been back that long, and I was pretty tired.” He grimaced as he reflected back to his anxious feelings upon returning home. 

“I can understand that. Yall must have had quite the time out there on the beach. Wish I could’ve joined you guys.”

Tony’s grimace deepened and he felt his stomach drop as he imagined the merman pursuing and even catching Rhodes while he was swimming. He shut his eyes at the horror of it.

“Tony?”

If such a thing had happened, he wasn’t sure if he could forgive himself. He had been the one to set up the private getaway afterall.

“Tony, you there?”

Of course there were the others. What if the merman had taken one of them instead?

“Yo Tony.”

“Oh, sorry Rhodes. Just, thinking.” He cursed himself for thinking of that now.

“Oh? Getting back into the swing of working again or are your thoughts on vacation? Tell me Sam got a sunburn.”

“No, nothing like that.”

“Man. I bet it was beautiful out there. Was the swimming nice?”

“You know, let’s not talk about that,” Tony demanded, a littler harsher than he intended.

“Hey, you okay?”

“Yeah, I just…I just wish it wasn’t over already.” It felt queasy to lie and act as though that were the reason for his reaction. “But yeah I am thinking about work. Thinking about what updates I can do to that Iron Patriot of yours.” 

“Well don’t work too hard buddy.”

“You know me.”

“I do, and I’m telling you not to work too hard.”

Tony’s attention drifted to the tv which was showing a commercial for some new show about aquatic life in the ocean. Watching the fish and all that coral had him momentarily transfixed, but it also made him uneasy. 

“Right,” he said curtly. “I gotta go.”

“Oh, okay. We’ll talk to you latter man.”

“Yeah.”

He glared at the screen, hating the feeling that started twisting in his gut. Once the commercial ended, the feeling was still there. He turned away from the tv entirely, unnerved by it. For a brief second his thoughts went to the merman.

“Damn it,” he muttered. He wasn’t supposed to think about that. It wasn’t supposed to be real anyhow. 

He looked around the empty living room. Everyone else had gone off to do their own thing for a while so it was just him. He didn’t really feel like being on his own with the odd feeling still squeezing his gut, yet at the same time he didn’t want anyone’s company right now.

“What could I do to occupy myself for a while?” he wondered aloud.

“How about another upgrade to your suits,” Jarvis suggested.

Tony smiled and shook his head.

“No, I’m not really feeling up to doing anything mechanical. I guess I could use something a little more soothing.”

He barely acknowledge how odd it was to desire another activity that wasn’t technical, because technically working on his suits was soothing to him.

“What did you have in mind? Or would you like me to list alternative ideas?”

Tony thought about it for a moment before shaking his head.

“No thanks J, I think I know what I want to do,” he said happily.

He went to his room to grab a towel and some trunks then headed out the door.

“Don’t wait up for me,” he told Jarvis before leaving.

 

Ten minutes later he found himself standing at the edge of an indoor pool. He stood there, staring down at the cool blue water, gently waving at him and practically calling him to jump in. Tony was never one to do much swimming, particularly when it came to public pools which he always turned his nose at. There were a few other people swimming as well which was something that would only make it worse, yet he didn’t concern himself about them or any disgusting thing he’d often accuse people of doing in public pools. Right now getting into a large body of water felt like the best thing. So without another thought he dived right in.

Tony sunk gracefully below and surfaced with a relaxed smile. There were no images of merman popping into his head. It was total peace. Had he bothered to think about it, he would have found it strange that he didn’t fear the water. But he wasn’t scared at all. His body seemed to melt with the waves as he floated on his back, sighing with relief.

After a while, he turned and started to freestyle. The motions making him all the more relaxed and pleased.

Tony had always been an okay swimmer. Since he’d never done much practice he’d always been about as fast as the average swimmer, yet somehow his body was practically zooming through the water. This fact wasn’t present in his mind, but he had caught the attention of those swimming in the pool who had to quickly maneuver out of his path.

When he reached the end, he gracefully tucked and turned then zoomed back like a skilled Olympian. People who weren’t in the pool moved to the edge to watch and point. Tony was oblivious of the spectators. In fact he was practically oblivious to what he was doing. All he knew was that he felt great.

He kept it up for another hour, still unaware of the show he was putting on for the people gathered around. Then he came to a stop in the center of the pool and shook the water from his head. The sound of applause came to him them, startling him. Tony finally caught sight of the crowd around him and it suddenly made him anxious, whereas before he would love the attention.

Without thinking he dived below, moving deep out of sight, breathe held easily without a problem. He just kept swimming underwater for a while. Then he started noticing how empty the pool looked down below and was suddenly wishing for something attractive to fill the space. Maybe some nice plants to fill the scenery, or a cave.

But the sudden thought had his eyes widening in shock and he immediately surfaced. The soothing feeling was all but gone now.

“Hey dude, you’re quite the swimmer!” some guy shouted at him. A few other people applauded again.

Tony chose to ignore him in favor of getting out of the pool as quickly as he could. He quickened his pace to the changing room where he took a moment to sit and think about what he’d just done. It was like an out of body experience and it was freaking him out.

Did I really just…? The speed of his own swimming was coming to him now, and it wasn’t making logical sense. Then he thought about how long he’d held his breath. He hadn’t kept track of how long he’d held it, but he was certain it was long enough to impress even the best swimmers.

Not wanting to think on it any longer he quickly rinsed off and dressed. While forcing himself to maintain some semblance of calm he departed from the pool and made his way back home.   
“Did you enjoy yourself sir?” Jarvis greeted when he entered.

Tony didn’t speak at first. He preferred not to think about his trip at the pool right now.

“As good a time as I expected,” he responded. “I think, I think I’ll work in the lab for a while.”

“Very well sir.”

Tony put his things away then proceeded to the lab. Part of him wanted to run some self-test to figure out what had happened at the pool, but he was also frightened at what he might find.

“Nothing’s wrong with me,” he muttered to himself as he started pulling apart one of his suits.

“Sir?”

“It’s nothing Jarvis. I’m fine.”

All he had to do was believe it. He was fine. So what if he could suddenly swim fast and whole his breath for long periods of time underwater. There were lots of people out there that could do it too. 

Such reasonable think lessened the stress and made him confident that he was going to be okay.

“Any particular dinner plans you have in mind for tonight sir?”

Tony raised his head in thought. Right away, a fish dinner sounded very appealing. But he snapped out of it quickly enough, disturbed at what appeared to be a sudden thing for fish.

“Ah, whatever the guys decide,” he said. “That’ll be fine with me.”

But the thought of them wanting things like pizza or steak had his stomach turning. Nonetheless, he was determined to eat such things to get back to a more normal life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, Tony's taking to the water like a fish to water ;)
> 
> This story was my own prompt, and I was filling it cause it was left unfilled for so long and I really wanted the story for it. But there is another filling this as well so feel free to check it out too :) I can provide a link to it.  
> I don't know when there will be another update. I have a couple of writing projects to handle at the moment, and it really helps if I'm in the mindset of the Avengers to work on this one. But all in all I'm glad you guys are enjoying this.

**Author's Note:**

> So it begins. If the interest is up, I'll definitely continue.


End file.
